Path • Instance

Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged on the bed.

Outside the window were the night lights of Tianhun City, near and far, orange dots. Zixiao sat beside him, the Thunder Light Sword laid across her knees, her eyes closed.

Quan Cangtian closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank.

Beneath his feet was black ground, and overhead was a starry sky. The Path Rift.

Silvery-white stars twinkled overhead. Those were miracles.

He looked up.

He saw it.

A red star.

Trembling.

The star of the Path of Destruction.

He reached out his hand.

His will stirred.

The star trembled and resisted. It didn't want to come down.

But Quan Cangtian felt the Seed of Destruction in his left chest thumping. A surge of power poured out, extending along his consciousness and grabbing that star.

Pull.

The star was pulled down.

It transformed into a door.

Written on the door was: Simulated Universe: Destruction (Primary).

He pushed the door open.

He walked in.

Behind the door was a ruin.

The sky was dark red. There was no sun, only a sheet of dark red light pressing down from all directions.

The earth was cracking. Black smoke billowed from the fissures, carrying a scent of sulfur.

An aura of destruction permeated the air.

Quan Cangtian felt the Seed of Destruction within his body thumping.

It felt very comfortable.

Then—

Footsteps.

Many.

Coming from all directions.

He looked around.

Behind the broken walls of the ruins, they appeared.

Voidrangers.

Humanoid. But faceless. Their bodies were black, like charred flesh, with cracks on the surface from which dark red light seeped. They held weapons—spears, blades, all dark red.

Seven of them.

They saw Quan Cangtian.

Yet they didn't charge immediately.

They were surrounding him.

Quan Cangtian sensed it.

This wasn't a brainless charge.

This was a tactical encirclement.

He looked around.

The terrain of the ruins was complex. Broken walls, rubble, deep pits. To the left was a broken wall about two meters high. To the right was a deep pit about three meters wide.

He retreated behind the broken wall.

His back to the wall.

Minimizing the angles of encirclement.

Then—

The Voidrangers charged.

The first one thrust its spear.

Quan Cangtian sidestepped, dodging. The spear tip brushed past his ear, stirring up a gust of wind.

He didn't counterattack.

He was waiting.

The second one slashed with its blade.

Quan Cangtian raised his hand and blocked.

The blade bit into his arm.

Blood splashed out.

Warm.

Yet he didn't retreat.

He grabbed the blade.

With a backhanded pull.

The Voidranger was dragged over.

He kicked the Voidranger squarely in the chest.

The Voidranger crashed into the Voidranger behind it.

Both fell down.

The third one charged.

Quan Cangtian picked up a piece of rubble from the ground.

He smashed it onto the Voidranger's face.

It had no face, but he hit it.

The Voidranger's movements stalled.

He rushed forward.

One punch.

Blasted into the Voidranger's face.

The face shattered.

Dark red blood splattered out.

The fourth, the fifth.

He utilized the terrain.

Retreating behind the broken wall so they could only approach from the front.

Fighting them one by one.

To the Death activated.

The more life lost, the higher the damage.

He felt his power skyrocketing.

But the wound on his arm was bleeding.

His shoulder had also been slashed.

Blood was flowing.

The Abundance Talent automatically treated him.

Yet the speed wasn't fast enough.

The sixth one charged.

Quan Cangtian dodged.

But not completely.

The spear grazed his ribs.

Another wound.

He gritted his teeth.

He rushed forward.

One punch.

Blasted into the Voidranger's chest.

The Voidranger fell.

The seventh one.

The last one.

It stood there, not charging forward.

It was observing.

Quan Cangtian was observing it as well.

It was slightly larger than the other six.

The spear in its hand was longer.

It was waiting.

Quan Cangtian didn't wait.

He picked up a piece of rubble from the ground.

He threw it.

The Voidranger raised its hand to block.

The rubble struck its arm and bounced away.

By then Quan Cangtian had already rushed in front of it.

One punch.

Blasted into the Voidranger's chest.

The Voidranger fell.

Seven Voidrangers, completely wiped out.

Quan Cangtian stood amidst the ruins.

He was bleeding.

Arm, shoulder, ribs.

Three wounds.

Yet the Abundance Talent automatically treated him.

White Flower Bloom activated.

Domain expanded.

HP was recovering.

The ground shook.

Violently.

Quan Cangtian looked up.

He saw it.

The Doomsday Beast.

Enormous.

Ten meters tall.

Its body was black, like charred flesh. There were cracks on the surface, with dark red light seeping from the fissures.

Faceless.

Possessing only a single giant eye.

Dark red.

It saw Quan Cangtian.

Yet it didn't charge immediately.

It was observing.

Quan Cangtian sensed it.

This wasn't a brainless charge.

This was tactical observation.

He looked around.

The terrain of the ruins was complex.

Broken walls, rubble, deep pits.

He retreated behind a broken wall.

His back to the wall.

Minimizing the angles of attack.

Then—

The Doomsday Beast charged over.

Fast.

Quan Cangtian sensed danger.

He didn't fight head-on.

He dodged.

The Doomsday Beast slammed a fist into a broken wall.

Boom.

The broken wall shattered.

Flying gravel sprayed everywhere.

Quan Cangtian was struck by the debris.

Another wound opened on his shoulder.

Blood splattered out.

Yet he didn't retreat.

He used the rubble.

Picking up a piece.

He hurled it at the Doomsday Beast's eye.

The Doomsday Beast's movements hitched.

It blinked.

Quan Cangtian charged forward.

However, he didn't attack directly.

He sprinted behind the Doomsday Beast.

The Doomsday Beast turned around.

But it was too massive.

Its turning was slow.

Quan Cangtian seized the chance to rush to its back.

One punch.

Slammed into the Doomsday Beast's back of the neck.

The Doomsday Beast shrieked.

Dark red blood splattered out.

It turned around.

Its tail swept across.

Quan Cangtian dodged.

Yet the wind pressure generated by the tail blew him flying.

He crashed into a wall.

His back slammed against the stone.

Pain.

He spat blood.

Still, he didn't stop.

He scrambled up.

The Doomsday Beast charged again.

Quan Cangtian utilized the terrain.

Diverting behind the broken wall.

The Doomsday Beast collided with the broken wall.

The broken wall shattered once more.

Even so, the Doomsday Beast tripped slightly.

Quan Cangtian seized the chance to rush behind it.

Another punch.

Slammed into the Doomsday Beast's lower back.

The Doomsday Beast shrieked.

It turned around.

Too slow, though.

Quan Cangtian had already run off.

He utilized a deep pit.

Circling around to the other side of the Doomsday Beast.

The Doomsday Beast turned around.

Slow again.

Quan Cangtian rushed behind it once more.

Yet another punch.

Slammed into the Doomsday Beast's hind leg.

The Doomsday Beast staggered.

It grew enraged.

It stopped turning around.

It swept directly with its tail.

The tail was very long.

Sweeping across the entire ruin.

Quan Cangtian couldn't dodge.

He was struck by the tail.

Sent flying again.

Crashing into the wall.

Spitting blood once more.

He scrambled up.

His arms were shaking.

His back ached.

His ribs were likely fractured.

Nevertheless, he didn't stop.

He stared at the Doomsday Beast.

The Doomsday Beast stared back at him.

It didn't charge up again.

It was waiting.

Quan Cangtian was waiting too.

He thought to himself.

The Doomsday Beast is too huge.

Its strength is formidable.

But its turning is slow.

The tail is a weapon, yet also a weakness.

I need to utilize the terrain.

He glanced all around.

There was a deep pit in the center of the ruins.

Very large.

Roughly five meters wide.

He got an idea.

He ran over to the edge of the deep pit.

Standing right there.

The Doomsday Beast saw him.

It charged over.

Extremely fast.

Quan Cangtian didn't dodge.

He was waiting.

The Doomsday Beast rushed to the edge of the deep pit.

It saw the deep pit.

But it couldn't brake in time.

It was too massive.

The momentum was too great.

It tumbled in.

Half its body sank into the deep pit.

Struggling.

Yet unable to climb out.

Quan Cangtian charged up.

The final punch.

Slammed into the Doomsday Beast's eye.

The eye shattered.

The Doomsday Beast shrieked.

It collapsed.

The Doomsday Beast collapsed.

Transforming into dark red points of light.

Dissipating into the air.

Quan Cangtian stood amidst the ruins.

He was bleeding.

Arms, shoulder, ribs, back.

Four places wounded.

Yet the Abundance Talent was automatically healing him.

White Flower Bloom activated.

HP was recovering.

Then--

He felt it.

A surge of power flooding into his body.

The power of the Path of Destruction.

He felt the Seed of Destruction pulsing.

Growing stronger.

Then--

He saw it.

There was an object on the ground.

A dark red crystal.

He walked over.

Picked it up.

Crystal of Destruction.

Dungeon reward.

He sensed that the crystal contained the power of the Path of Destruction.

It could strengthen the Seed of Destruction.

He clenched the crystal tightly.

The crystal transformed into dark red points of light.

Pouring into his body.

The Seed of Destruction grew stronger.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

He had returned to the inn.

Outside the window, it was dawn.

Sunlight shone in through the window.

He felt the changes inside his body.

The Seed of Destruction was growing stronger.

He felt his power rising.

Then--

He saw Zixiao.

She was sitting beside him.

Looking at him.

"You're awake."

Quan Cangtian.

"Yeah."

Zixiao.

"How long?"

Quan Cangtian.

"A day."

Zixiao.

"You were out for a day."

Quan Cangtian.

"Dungeon."

Zixiao.

"What dungeon?"

Quan Cangtian.

"The one in the Path Rift."

"I went in to fight monsters."

"Got the reward."

Zixiao fell silent.

She looked at Quan Cangtian.

"You've gotten stronger."

Quan Cangtian.

"Yeah."

Zixiao.

"How much stronger?"

Quan Cangtian.

"Soul Emperor."

Zixiao looked at him.

"Your level is twenty-one."

Quan Cangtian.

"But my combat power is that of a Soul Emperor."

Zixiao fell silent.

She knew Quan Cangtian was different from ordinary people.

He walked his own path.

Sunlight streamed in through the window.

It shone upon them both.

Quan Cangtian raised his right hand.

The Dark Red Crystal was still beneath his palm.

But it felt different.

It was more stable.

He clenched his fist.

The two of them sat by the bed.

Neither spoke.

Yet both knew.

A new phase was about to begin.

Dungeons, rewards, and increased combat power.

The Dark Soul Cult was closing in.

Huo Yuhao was cultivating.

Quan Cangtian was growing stronger.

Everything was moving forward.

And they.

Only needed to keep walking.